Bacolod artist Bamboo Tonogbanua is all set to once again bring cheer when his iconic miniature Christmas Village, a tradition for nearly three decades, opens to the public for the 29th year on Dec. 16.
On Monday, Dec. 1, he held a small dinner party to give friends a glimpse of his Christmas Village at his ancestral home at 90 San Juan Street, Bacolod City, which has undergone upgrades.
When one reaches the top of the staircase on the second floor of his home, Santa twirling to Christmas music greets guests as they walk into the village filled with numerous “other worlds” brought alive with thousands of miniature objects.
At the center of the 8-meter by 10-meter room that houses the Christmas Village, one is immediately drawn to the floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree at the center filled with miniature sub villages.
Sounds of Christmas from all corners of the room, blinking lights, and moving objects from numerous carnival rides along with dancing and skating villagers in a meticulously landscaped wonderland make visiting the village a truly magical experience.
There are also numerous manger scenes throughout the village to remind everyone what Christmas is all about.
As a boy, Tonogbanua was fascinated by the pictures of festive snow-covered villages and Santa Claus on Christmas cards that led him to start collecting miniature houses, churches, carnival rides and festive objects from his numerous travels.
In 1996, he made his boyhood fantasies of beautiful Christmas scenes come alive when he opened his village to the public for the first time on a single table.
Each year it grew bigger as friends and fans also helped boost his Christmas village with numerous miniature objects from their travels.
Tonogbanua’s artistic eye allows him to spot unique and entertaining objects.
Some sections of the Christmas Village.*Ronnie Baldonado photos
The miniature objects have been artistically laid out in sub-villages representing different countries from Europe, Asia to the United States, including a fantasyland where characters from numerous fairytales live.
Tonogbanua said the village will be open to visitors from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. starting Dec. 16 until the New Year.
Visits are free, but guests usually drop donations at a box in the village to help with the upkeep of the village located in an air-conditioned room.
Tonogbanua has kept the village going for the love of seeing the joy it brings so many, especially to wide-eyed children with huge smiles.
Truly, bringing the Christmas spirit alive for all remains his mission.*